Chapter 68: Aftermath (1)
A live broadcast interview.
Questions poured in from reporters amid a broadcast watched by tens of millions.
“Seo Yerim! What do you mean you're an archer, not a swordsman?”
“I changed classes.”
Seo Yerim promptly shared her status window's class field.
“What the… crazy!”
“She actually became an archer?”
“Her class really changed?”
“How the hell…!”
The reporters were stunned.
And for good reason—classes were something you chose once and could never change.
At least, that had been the case until just moments ago.
But it had actually changed.
Status window info was tied to the system, making fakes impossible.
“Seo Yerim! H-how did you change your class?”
“I got a special reward from a gate.”
“But even S-rank Gates have never dropped anything like that!”
“Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't ever.”
“That's true, but… what about your existing swordsman skills and achievements?”
“Those changed too.”
“Why switch from sword to bow specifically?”
All eyes pierced toward the Sword Sage at the reporter's question.
She had trained with the sword since childhood. And she wasn't bad at it, either.
Her swordsmanship was good enough to crush most top-tier swordsmen. Yet she'd switched classes overnight. Everyone was dying to know why.
Kim Minwoo grabbed the mic instead.
“Seo Yerim is great with a bow. She generated a skill the moment she picked one up.”
“…!”
Shock rippled across the reporters' faces.
Generated a skill right away?
If true, it was talent on a level unseen worldwide.
“So the Sword Sage had this kind of hidden gift?”
“Yes. And with the gate reward as the perfect chance, she made the switch.”
“Then, in your opinion, what's Seo Yerim's archery level…?”
“World ranker tier.”
“… Ranker?”
“The archer rankings will flip completely soon. Bet on it if you want.”
Back during the last world record attempt.
This was 180 degrees from his prior assessment. He'd trashed her sword skills, but now her archery was world ranker level?
‘Believe him or not?’
Of course, Seo Yerim wasn't stupid enough to switch classes on a whim.
Her archery had to be better than her swordsmanship, no doubt.
But world ranker? Hard to swallow.
“You'll see her shine plenty going forward, so her skill will speak for itself.”
The reporters nodded.
“Kim Minwoo! Dorim Group posted an apology. Any chance you'll accept it?”
“Dorim? Who from there sent it?”
“Just a corporate statement.”
Kim Minwoo smirked.
“They try to bury one person, and that's supposed to cut it?”
“Then…”
“I'm thinking this whole thing was Dorim's planned setup.”
“A planned setup?”
“My ads have tanked their sales lately, right? Maybe they tossed a worthless son to take out the golden boy.”
“You're saying Chairman Jo of Dorim ordered a suicide bombing on his own son?”
“Could be. Good trade for Dorim. Hand over a loser like Jo Pilwook, neutralize me—profit.”
Take it or leave it.
Logically, it didn't line up perfectly.
If Dorim wanted murder, they'd use some unrelated third party, not Jo Pilwook.
But whatever.
Not Kim Minwoo's problem.
He just sprinkled the conspiracy theory.
Rumormongers always had the edge—the targets had to disprove everything.
With public opinion rallied now.
This would hit Dorim's sales hard.
He'd just conquered an A+ Rank Gate, emerging a national hero.
As the number two group, they overlapped plenty with Ilsung.
Dorim sinking meant Ilsung rising.
Razing their revenue was win enough.
‘Might as well squeeze a big one out of them.’
Make them cough up a business unit.
Whatever worked.
Dorim fired first—he wasn't backing down. And their backing was bigger anyway.
[(Breaking) Gate Conquest Shares 5:5! D-rank Awakener Who Dominated A+ Gate?]
[(Breaking) Sword Sage Confirms! 5:5 Conquest Is Legit!]
[(Breaking) No Longer Sword Sage, Now Bow Sage? Seo Yerim Changes to Archer!]
[(Breaking) Global Super Rookies Unite! Seo Yerim Joins Lavish Guild!]
[(Breaking) Dorim Chairman Ordered Son to Assassinate Kim Minwoo?]
[(Breaking) Dorim Dismisses Absurd Conspiracy as…]
* * *
After the interview, Kim Minwoo studied Seo Yerim.
“Sword Sea Pavilion. Want me to tag along?”
“… No. On second thought, this is mine to handle.”
“You sure?”
“… It's just talking about a class change. No big deal. And the results aren't bad. Go do your thing, Minwoo.”
Fair enough.
Kim Minwoo nodded.
Seo Yerim returned alone and sought the Sword Sage.
“I heard. Your class changed to archer, Yerim?”
She nodded and shared her status window with him.
He gawked at the skills.
Skills: Divine Archer Iferin (SSS), Ghost Step (A), Precision Shot (A)…
“SSS-grade…”
A rank even he had never seen.
“This the skill from that gate reward you mentioned?”
“Well, actually…”
Seo Yerim explained.
Starting from Kim Minwoo spotting her bow talent, to entering the mysterious space for the retest. The Sword Sage's eyes widened in surprise.
Talent even Korea's top Awakeners, himself included, had missed. How had Kim Minwoo spotted it at a glance?
And triggered a special retest process too.
‘… A truly mysterious kid.’
The Sword Sage's gaze deepened.
Then.
Seo Yerim stared straight at him.
“Grandfather.”
“Speak.”
“I've always wanted your approval. But you never gave it. Not once.”
The Sword Sage nodded.
He knew his granddaughter craved his recognition.
From her childhood.
When his son and daughter-in-law died in that freak accident, and he took her in.
But he hadn't given her what she wanted.
Couldn't.
Her talent fell far short of earning it.
What good were lies?
Pointless.
Eventually, he dodged spars too.
He hated seeing her mope.
Seo Yerim's eyes turned serious.
“I'm holding a bow now, not a sword. But my goal hasn't changed. Spar with me.”
“… Rise.”
The Sword Sage headed to the training grounds with her. Instructors and disciples naturally followed.
“What? Are they sparring?”
“Headed to the grounds—looks like it…”
“Last one was like three years ago, right?”
The two took positions in the training grounds.
Seo Yerim drew her weapon.
[Activating Divine Archer Iferin (SSS)!]
Flash!
A glow, and the divine bow filled her hand. Smoother than the sword she'd swung for decades.
‘Iferin. Help me.’
Bzzz…!
As if reading her thoughts, Iferin trembled.
The Sword Sage drew his sword too.
Tension thickened the air.
Soon.
“Begin.”
Nod.
Their spar started.
Seo Yerim fired her divine bow skill right away.
[Divine Archer declares 'Kill Zone'!]
[Maintained for 20 minutes!]
[Agility +50%.]
[Three times more mana arrows generated!]
Kill Zone.
One of the divine bow's effects.
She nocked toward the charging Sword Sage. Blue mana gathered into arrow form.
Three arrows.
Holding her breath in focus, she released.
Pew!
Three shot straight at the Sword Sage. Mid-flight, they caught the wind, trajectories splitting into three.
Arrows flying like a pincer from all sides. The Sword Sage's eyes gleamed.
‘Tricky.’
Knock one down, another embeds. Precise flight. Calculated wind and speed from the draw.
Just one pull, yet talent shone.
Of course, he could block.
One sword swing shattered all three.
Then arrows rained from above and front. Nine total, targeting his whole body.
Time-delayed, precise barrage.
Whoosh.
Wind infused Seo Jin-cheol's sword.
A spin, and the falling arrows crashed to the ground.
First time using wind swordsmanship so heavily against her.
Meaning the arrows were that threatening.
The Sword Sage closed in fast.
His sword thrust straight.
[Using Ghost Step (A)!]
Seo Yerim activated a skill.
Her class change reworked her skills.
Ghost Step replaced Moon Step—perfect for creating distance.
Her blurring form shifted far back.
Problem: He'd anticipated it, closing distance relentlessly.
Arrows? All deflected.
‘Don't panic.’
Sparring the Sword Sage was always like this.
Grandfather predicted everything. Getting crushed like trash was routine.
He'd even cleared an S-rank Gate fastest recently, proving he'd grown stronger.
Already mighty, now more.
Even full power, could she land a scratch?
‘Still, I can do this.’
She had the divine bow.
No more pathetic repeats.
Seo Yerim's eyes flashed.
She'd expected the approach.
She raised the divine bow to block the sword.
Clang!
S-rank vs. A-rank Awakener.
Sparks flew in ultra-high-speed exchanges.
Divine bow buffs. Plus her innate archery genius.
Archery wasn't just shooting straight.
Fearsome talent.
It extended to bow-and-arrow martial arts.
The S-rank martial manual from the gate.
[Seven Flash Steps]
Oddly, a close-range manual.
Seven steps to pierce the enemy's throat with an arrow.
Just read once, her talent manifested it as skill.
[Perfectly recreating Seven Flash Steps!]
Mana arrow in one hand.
Divine bow in the other, parrying the Sword Sage—her eyes narrowed on the fifth step.
‘As expected. Not enough.’
His swordsmanship had advanced far beyond their last spar three years ago. Grandfather wouldn't fold this easily.
Needed something deadlier, more threatening. For any result at all.
Suddenly, a thought flashed.
Seven Flash Steps.
Mix in Kill Zone precision shots.
Skills were standardized moves. Combining? Near impossible.
But Seo Yerim did it.
On the seventh step.
Her form blurred.
Suddenly close, she nocked.
[Perfectly linking Seven Flash Steps and Precision Shot!]
[Kill Zone assists!]
[New skill generated!]
[Seven Flash Strike (SS) generated!]
Three arrows point-blank.
That instant.
A chilling rupture— all three arrows pulverized.
Seo Yerim's eyes went blank.
Her trump card, blocked cold.
Didn't even see it.
Arrows shattered, Sword Sage's sword at her throat.
Was she hopeless even with the bow?
Then.
The Sword Sage spoke, impressed.
“… You surprised this old man.”
“… Huh?”
“You forced Heart Sword out of me. Heh…”
“Heart… Sword?”
She tilted her head.
That enlightenment he'd mentioned in passing?
“Congratulations. You found a class perfect for you. I approve. You have talent.”
“… R-really?”
“Yes.”
A lifetime of training.
Sword or bow, didn't matter now. She'd fulfilled her lifelong wish.
Seo Yerim's eyes trembled wide.
* * *
“… Huh?”
Kim Minwoo squinted at the sudden message.
“What? Why's my achievement score…”
Suddenly duplicating like mad?